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Sad Truths About Age Discrimination in the Workplace

Employment discrimination comes in many forms. These could be about race, religion, ethnicity, and age, and it can be problematic for both the employer and employee.

In cases of discrimination in the workplace, a third-party employment mediator can resolve the issue and get the parties to settle on an agreement that is amicable and fair.

A Concept of Age

Research has shown that there is a bias against older people in the workplace. Older applicants have a harder time getting a job compared with their younger counterparts. This is especially true of those in their 50s and 60s. They also happen to be the target of layoffs.

The pertinent law about ageism is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act or ADEA. This law made it illegal for a company to treat older workers differently from younger ones. The problem with this legislation, however, is that it is hard to implement because in individual cases, ageism is hard to prove.

When applying for a job, a company has the choice to hire whoever they want. Usually, when there’s a choice between a fresh graduate and an applicant in their 40s or 50s, the younger applicant gets hired.

Layoffs and Retirement

Companies have their own practices where older employees are eased out of their jobs to make way for younger hires working with lower salaries.

A common company practice is to let go of employees before they reach retirement age. This solves a few problems for the company, the first of which is spending for retirement benefits. At the same time, new hires would be coming in at a lower salary.

In most instances, the new hires would take over the same job as a veteran, and it becomes part of the older employee’s job to train his replacement before they leave. This is the ironic part about age-related layoffs.

Ageism is a discriminatory practice that is not easy to catch. If you or someone you know feels as if they have become a target of this, the law is on your side, so reach out to the right professionals that can help you.